Healthy Workplaces Campaign 2018-2019

Dangerous substances affect a larger number of workers than we normally imagine. These include workers in agriculture, manufacturing, construction, waste management,transport, nail technicians, hairdressers, bakers and many more. In fact,European Surveys show that 38% of enterprises reported using chemical or biological substances at the workplace while 18% of workers reported being exposed to chemical substances or products for at least 25% of their working time. When one also keeps in mind that an average 80,000 people die from occupational cancers each year, it is clear that this area needs particular attention.

The Healthy Workplaces Campaign 2018-19 entitled ‘Healthy Workplaces Manage Dangerous Substances’, is organised by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA). It is also endorsed in Malta by the National Focal Point within the Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA).

Its overall aim is to help workers, managers and employers recognise and manage dangerous substances at the workplace. The campaign has 5 strategic objectives:

Raising awareness about the importance and relevance of managing dangerous substances at work;

Promoting risk assessment,elimination and substitution;

Raising awareness about the risks from the exposure to carcinogens;

Targeting groups of workers with specific needs and higher levels of risk; and